


i would put a spell on you (but i'm already under yours)

by KingOfHearts709



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Crushes, Flirting, Gryffindor!Namjoon, M/M, also blatant destruction of the division of the houses, and the rest of the boys are british, blatant destruction of the house points system, seokjin is american in this, slytherin!jimin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 11:08:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19828915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingOfHearts709/pseuds/KingOfHearts709
Summary: Jimin’s not even close to being as charming and cool as Seokjin, and two Gryffindors would probably be a better match than a Gryffindor and a Slytherin.





	i would put a spell on you (but i'm already under yours)

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this out in a few days mostly with the thought of "hngggggg MinJoon Hogwarts" so. Honestly I was super stoked to write it because I feel like I haven't written anything concrete in awhile, nor this long. I just had a bunch of early mornings so I spent those writing this.  
> I based their houses from how Namjoon sorted them. Also I sort of get into it with calling out some of the tropes about the houses and such. And I did a bit of my own research for accuracy, but I changed like two tiny things. xoxo

“Why don’t you just talk to him?”

Jimin grimaces as he sighs and rests his chin in his arms on the dining table, pouting.

“He’s too smart for me,” he says. “And he’s also a Gryffindor. It’s kind of like we’re polar opposites. He’s smart and brave and I’m dumb and cowardly.”

Yoongi laughs at Jimin’s comment and Jimin rolls his eyes, tilting his head so he can look at the Gryffindor table instead.

There Namjoon is sitting with the Gryffindor’s seventh year Prefect, Seokjin. Namjoon’s a fifth year, like himself, but he probably likes people older than him, anyways. Jimin’s not even close to being as charming and cool as Seokjin, and two Gryffindors would probably be a better match than a Gryffindor and a Slytherin.

“I can hear you overthinking,” Yoongi says through a bite of bread, and Jimin finally sits up, reaching over the table to push Yoongi’s shoulder. “Hey, keep your hands to yourself!”

“Stop commenting on my brain,” Jimin chides back. Yoongi gasps, holding a hand to his chest.

“Jimin Park, I didn’t even know you  _ had  _ one.” Jimin scoffs and reaches to smack the top of Yoongi’s head. “Damn, alright. I just mean that if you  _ did  _ have one, you’d have talked to him by now.”

“Ugh, you’re the most annoying person in the world, you know that?”

“I’m  _ just  _ saying,” Yoongi continues, ignoring Jimin’s comment, “that you need to stop basing whether or not you can be with someone based on their house, okay? I mean, I’m good friends with that Hufflepuff, Taehyung.”

“Yeah, because you’re both weird.”

_ “No,  _ because we have similar interests. And we both grew up with muggles for family. And according to your methods, Slytherins and Hufflepuffs are just as much opposite as Slytherins and Gryffindors.” Jimin grimaces again. “You need to stop thinking about all that history of the differences of the houses. A house divided on itself will collapse. Or, in this case, four houses.”

“Where’s that from?”

“...Muggle history book.” Jimin rolls his eyes. “The attitude on you. Fine, keep moping. I’ve got homework.”

Jimin watches Yoongi finish his bread before picking up his few books and stalking off. Jimin goes back to watching the group of Gryffindors clap and cheer at their table, slightly wishing his robes were the same colour so he could join in.

\---

Oh, whoever decided to put Jimin in Potions with Gryffindor is going to hear some words from him, and none of them nice.

Jimin has never truly spoken to, let alone made eye contact, with Namjoon, at least not since their short conversation in their first year. And now he’s his Potions partner, and Jimin is going to kill someone.

Professor Snape begins the lesson, but Jimin can’t even pay attention to the words out of his mouth when Namjoon is literally  _ two inches  _ from him and, like, three inches taller. He’s so broad, and how did he get his hair to look like that, black and silky? Jimin would never be able to get his hair that dark. And are those his real glasses, because he hadn’t been wearing them the other day.

“Mr. Park,” the professor’s voice snaps his attention back, and he straightens up.

“Yes, professor,” he says, clearing his throat. He feels Namjoon’s eyes on him and he starts to sweat internally.

“Lost our mind elsewhere?” Jimin barely flits his eyes to the side where Namjoon is before he shakes his head.

“No, professor,” he says, more confidently this time. It doesn’t matter because Snape’s eyes flit back and forth between him and Namjoon, before taking in a sharp breath and continuing the lesson.

Namjoon takes his notes diligently, almost as fast as Snape talks, even knowing when to look up when Snape turns before he can go back to writing.

_ A genius,  _ Jimin thinks glumly.  _ I would obviously never be good enough for him. _

“Hey,” Namjoon says, and Jimin’s whole attitude does a whole obstacle course,  _ he talked to me first, oh, no, what the hell do I say to him?  _ “Can you put the instructions in the middle?” Jimin belatedly realises he’s been clutching the page where the instructions to make the potion in his right hand, and he gently smooths it out before placing it between them. “Are you okay? Do I make you uncomfortable?”

“What? No!” Jimin blurts out, a little too loudly because a couple of other students look their way. “I mean- No, you could never.” He gulps. “I-I’m no good at making potions.”

“Really? I can help you.”

“No, I- I mean, I don’t want to take you away from making the potion to help me, it’s fine!”

“Well... We’re supposed to be making it together, so I guess I can just make it myself...”

“No!” Jimin denies again. This time, Snape’s eyes are on them and Jimin quickly goes to the first step by beginning to heat up their cauldron, and Snape continues on his walk-around of the class.

It’s the most awkward partnered project Jimin’s ever done, not counting being partnered up with Jeongguk when Slytherin and Ravenclaw had a group class for Divination. Jeongguk passed out when they read his tea leaves. Why they mixed fifth and fourth years together that time, he’ll never understand.

Namjoon does most of the work, if Jimin’s being honest. He helps here and there, and in the end, they both get twenty-five points each for finishing their potion first correctly.

“Well done," Snape comments as he tests the liquid, eyeing them curiously like he’s figuring out why Namjoon had caused Jimin’s distraction. He struts off to the next pair of students and Namjoon starts cleaning up their area. Jimin musters all the courage he has in himself and speaks.

“Thank you,” his voice cracks out at a high pitch, and Namjoon flinches slightly until Jimin clears his throat and says again, smoother but still high, “Thanks.”

“Um... You’re welcome,” Namjoon says back in a dimpled smile, and Jimin’s insides churn and he holds a hand to his chest. “Are you oka-”

“I have to go,” he breathes out before he runs out of the classroom and to the nearest bathroom, not even caring if he’ll get himself in trouble as he gets into a stall and has a panic attack.

“...Hello?” someone else says after a few moments and Jimin tenses up more. “You can come out, I won’t hurt you or anything.”

Slowly, Jimin emerges from the stall to see yellow hair, yellow robes, and yellow glasses.

“Hey, you’re Yoongi’s friend, right?” the Hufflepuff says, and Jimin gulps before nodding. “I’m Taehyung, remember?” Jimin blinks before he nods. “What’re you doing here, shouldn’t you be in Potions with Gryffindor?”

“Wh- How do you know that?” Jimin asks, furrowing his brows.

“That’s the closest class to this bathroom that has Slytherin right now,” Taehyung shrugs. Jimin opens his mouth before he finally notices the random streaks of colour across the yellow of Taehyung’s hair.

“Are you colouring your hair?”

“Oh. Yeah.” Taehyung gives a smile that says he’s embarrassed but indifferent to being caught. “I learnt a spell that can colour your hair. My hair’s naturally like this, so I thought I’d spruce it.”

“I thought colouring your hair was against school rules.”

“Oh,” Taehyung pauses for a moment before he shrugs. “Well, if I get in trouble, I can always change it back.”

“Even if you’ll lose house points?” Taehyung chuckles as he turns back to the mirror and starts touching his wand to different areas to his hair, the shade of yellow lightening and darkening with each touch.

“Who cares about house points? It’s a dumb system,” he states. “I never liked it. I think we should be rewarded altogether.” Jimin opens his mouth to protest, but Taehyung sees it and holds up a hand, “Yeah, I understand about the houses. But students are sorted into houses to utilise their strengths, not to separate them more and create division.”

“...You hang out with Yoongi a lot, don’t you?”

“Who said this was Yoongi’s insight?” Jimin opens his mouth again, but this time nothing comes out because Taehyung’s got a point. “Anyways, what’re you doing in here? You never said.”

“Oh. I... No, it’s embarrassing.” Jimin huffs as he sits down on the floor and Taehyung stops changing his hair to sit next to him.

“It’s about Namjoon, right?” Taehyung says after a couple moments, and laughs when Jimin widens his eyes in surprise. “What happened?” Jimin groans before he huffs, most of his pride shattered at this point.

“I can’t talk to him!” Jimin claims. “I don’t know what it is, I- I’ve never spoken to him until today, and I don’t think he’s ever looked at me until today, either. It was so bad, I- Wait, how did you even know I liked him?”

“Now that  _ is  _ Yoongi’s insight. He talks a lot about his friends, a lot about you and how annoying it is to watch you pine over boys.” Jimin groans and Taehyung pats his shoulder. “Will it make you feel better if I tell you that Yoongi’s pining over that Gryffindor Prefect?” Jimin stops for a moment.

_ “Seokjin?”  _ he gawks, and Taehyung nods.

“He’s been after him since Seokjin transferred from Ilvermorny. I think he really likes guys with American accents.”

Jimin huffs as he pulls his knees into his chest and stares forward. If Yoongi likes a Gryffindor... Hell, if Yoongi likes  _ anyone  _ other than his bed, then maybe there  _ is  _ something wrong with Jimin’s viewpoint.

“I can tell you’re working something out, so I’m going to finish up my hair,” Taehyung hums, standing up to go back to the mirror. Jimin scoffs.

“Shouldn’t you be in class, too?” he chides playfully, and Taehyung shakes his head.

“I’ve got a free hour.”

“You’re only a fifth year, how’d you get a free hour?”

“...Ask the kitchen elves.”

There’s a long silence before they’re both laughing, their chuckles echoing off the bathroom walls, and Jimin’s panic and embarrassment from earlier is long forgotten.

\---

Jimin and Yoongi are sat in the dining hall once more during their break time, Yoongi scribbling something in a notebook while Jimin blatantly ignores his own work as he watches Namjoon enjoy himself with his fellow Gryffindors.

“What’re you writing?” he asks Yoongi after a few moments. Yoongi bites the inside of his cheek as he scribbles something on the top of a new page. He turns it around and there, the title,  _ “Jimin Is Horrible At Feelings: A Novel,”  _ is written in grandiose cursive. “...I hate you.”

“I’d stop if you’d just talk to him,” Yoongi responds as he takes back his notebook and continues writing on a different page. Jimin opens his mouth to say that yes, he  _ did  _ talk to him, even if he was sort of forced to. Then his eyes fall onto Seokjin next to Namjoon and his brain starts to churn an idea.

“I’ll talk to him if you introduce me to them,” he says, and watches as Yoongi tenses a little around the shoulders. “s wrong, Yoongi? Nervous to talk to your crush?”

_ “My crush?”  _ Yoongi asks, a little too loudly, before composing himself, “I don’t have a crush on  _ anyone.” _

“Taehyung begs to differ,” Jimin grins devilishly and Yoongi rolls his eyes.

“That  _ brat,  _ I knew I shouldn’t have told him.”

“So it  _ is  _ true!”

“Yeah, no use in lying to you, you know me too well.” Jimin huffs.

“Apparently not well enough to know who you like,” he points out. “So quit teasing me, you’re just as scared to approach Seokjin as I am to approach Namjoon.”

Yoongi stares at Jimin for a good few long moments before he shuts his notebook and stands. Jimin smiles to claim his victory until Yoongi vaults to the other side of the table and hoists Jimin to his feet.

“What’re you do-” he cuts himself off as he feels his worst nightmare about to begin, and that’s Namjoon looking at him as he’s manhandled by his older friend who’s barely taller than him. “Oh, my God, Yoongi!”

“Taehyung also told me about your Potions disaster, so shut up and let me execute this,” Yoongi grumbles as he walks them over to the small group of five.

“Um... Hi?” Seokjin greets them, unsure, and Jimin yanks Yoongi’s hold off of him, adjusting his robes back. “Can we help you?”

“Namjoon,” Yoongi speaks up first. “I’ve heard you’re really good at Potions and Jimin needs some tutoring.” Namjoon seems taken aback and he gives a nervous smile.

“Tutoring?” he questions, curious eyes on Jimin (Jimin wants to faint). “I don’t know, I’ve never tutored anyone before-”

“Professor Snape suggested it!” Jimin blurts before he can catch up to his mouth and stop it. Namjoon raises his eyebrows and Jimin hopes that this doesn’t end in disaster.

“Well, if the professor suggested it, I guess I can help?” he says, still unsure, but more on board with the idea that it’s school related than anything personal. It’s like all the blood and air in Jimin’s body left him because it feels like he drains and deflates where he’s standing.  _ Tutoring.  _ That means one-on-one sessions with Namjoon. That means  _ talking  _ to him and  _ communicating. _

“And Seokjin,” Yoongi speaks up once more, and Jimin widens his eyes at the courage Yoongi’s mustering, “you’re from Ilvermorny, right?”

“Oh, yeah,” Seokjin nods with a grin. “I transferred here because my dad works in the Ministry of Defence.” Yoongi hums.

“I’m actually...i-interested in it, if you don’t mind talking about your time there.” Seokjin seems to light up at Yoongi’s interest and Jimin hates Yoongi so  _ much.  _ On one hand, he’d rather not have to face Namjoon completely alone. However, on the other, he would’ve been pissed if he were the only one to face his crush.

The only difference between them is that Jimin hadn’t been as brave as Yoongi to actually approach him.

“Hey, Jimin,” Namjoon speaks up, and Jimin is sprung back to reality. “Did you want to talk about when I can tutor you?” Jimin internally combusts as he musters a meek nod and Namjoon moves a little down the table so they can sit across from each other, Yoongi moving to sit with the rest of the group and listen to Seokjin recount tales from his first few years at Ilvermorny.

In the end, Namjoon and Jimin agree on weekly tutoring sessions between classes. Or rather, Namjoon suggests a time and place and Jimin hastily agrees before his adrenaline and courage fades and he runs off to the bathroom once more.

“Alright,” Namjoon hums, drumming his fingers on the table as silence settles. “I’ll see you for tutoring tomorrow, then?”

“Y-Yeah,” Jimin gulps. It shouldn’t be this hard to formulate words, but with Jimin and Namjoon, words are pretty much void. Namjoon tries for an easy smile and without thinking, Jimin smiles back.

“See, good to smile,” Namjoon eases the tension. “Don’t be nervous around me. Potions isn’t for everyone, I won’t make fun of you.” He stands up and adjusts his robes, flipping his hair from his eyes. “I’ve got to go to the library, but... I’ll see you around?”

“Sure!” Jimin says a little too enthusiastically and Namjoon just chuckles as he walks away. Yoongi, apparently, is done talking to Seokjin, too, as he walks over to Jimin and nods for him to follow back to their own house table.

“How’d it go?” Yoongi asks easily, and Jimin huffs for a moment before he punches Yoongi in the arm as hard as he can.  _ “Christ!  _ You talked to him, didn’t you?”

“I made an idiot of myself, Yoongi!” Jimin gripes, even if he will admit that if Yoongi hadn’t dragged him over, he’d have probably never spoken to Namjoon again.

“And you got  _ quality time  _ with him,” Yoongi adds. “You heard him, he’s never tutored anyone before. Which means this is your chance to get closer, which  _ means-” _

“Stop, stop,” Jimin waves his hand in the air. “I can’t think about it right now, I’m going to have another panic attack.”

"I can put you in a coma if you’d like.” Yoongi pulls out his wand and Jimin reaches over to stop him, only half-sure that Yoongi is joking. “If it makes you feel better... I introduced myself as Bogey.” Jimin stops before he starts laughing so loudly that the group of Gryffindors look their way, and Yoongi ineffectively tries to hide himself in his robes for the foreseeable future.

\---

Namjoon and Jimin’s first tutoring session is a trainwreck. As in, Jimin gets lost in the library looking for Namjoon and forgot to bring any of his textbooks or notes, and Professor McGonagall scolds him for making a ruckus while he’d scrambled around.

Then the next week comes. And the next, and the next. And Jimin... Jimin’s learning. Not just about Potions, but about  _ Namjoon. _

He learns that Namjoon likes owls and sea creatures, and he loves Herbology and Astronomy, and wants to be an herbalist when he grows up. And besides all of that, he’s one of the smartest students in his house and likely the whole school, as McGonagall has told him. Though Seokjin is also pretty good competition with his charm and friendliness.

And about a month passes and they spend time outside of tutoring, and Jimin is just then beginning to think that maybe the division of houses  _ is  _ a ridiculous concept, and Taehyung’s point of view,  _ utilising your strength,  _ is a better idea than using your house as an excuse to seclude yourself to those of your kind.

“Sorry, Jimin, but I’ve got another tutoring session,” Namjoon says, suddenly, and Jimin’s heart sinks down a little. And  _ no,  _ he’s not  _ jealous.  _ He just didn’t think Namjoon would have time to tutor someone else, or would even  _ want  _ to tutor someone else. And who the hell is Namjoon going to tutor, anyways? “I promised Hoseok I’d help him with Herbology. His and Jeongguk’s studies got cut short because of Quidditch practice.”

“Oh,” is all Jimin can manage. “That’s okay! I mean, you’re so smart, and you’re a really good tutor! I’m sure you’ll be a great help to him!” Namjoon smiles, a little apologetic, but grateful.

“Thanks for understanding, Jimin,” he says as he turns to walk away to the library, supposedly where Hoseok is going to be. “I’ll see you next session?”

“Yeah!” Jimin calls after him as Namjoon struts off, books under one arm, and Jimin  _ hates  _ himself.  _ Just  _ as he had been starting to find his words and have regular conversation.

Whatever.  _ Whatever.  _ It’s not like Namjoon really likes him as anything more than a tutee. He’s improved in his Potions studies enough anyways, he doesn’t really need Namjoon’s help anymore. Even if he secretly hopes that Namjoon won’t forget about their sessions completely, and he can faux a little bit of ignorance as an excuse to spend more time with him.

But then Namjoon cancels their next session. And the next session. Until a whole three weeks pass and Jimin hasn’t even seen Namjoon around the castle grounds.

“You look like a kicked puppy,” Yoongi tells him the next time they sit together on their break. “That’s no way to be during the holidays.”

“Excuse me?” Jimin bites back, and Yoongi flinches a little at his harsh tone. “Sorry. I’m just tired.”

“That’s my line when I’m upset. What’s actually wrong?” A silence. “Is this about Namjoon again?”

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter.” Jimin picks at the sleeve of his robes. He’d thought about going home for the holidays, but both his parents will be working outside of the country. He doesn’t really have anything to go back to until the school year ends and they’ll all be home.

“...I heard Namjoon isn’t going home for the holidays,” Yoongi pipes up, and it seems to catch Jimin’s attention. “I knew it, I knew you were still on about him.”

“Shut up, he doesn’t care about me anyways,” Jimin huffs. “He’s probably going to be all busy with that Hoseok guy.”

“Hoseok? Jeongguk’s boyfriend?”

A long few moments pass where Jimin just looks at Yoongi, bewildered.

Jeongguk? Hoseok?  _ Boyfriend? _

“You mean Namjoon isn’t dating Hoseok?” Yoongi furrows his brows before he laughs and shakes his head as if Jimin’s gone crazy. Maybe all this crushing and self-inflicted heartbreak  _ has _ gone to Jimin’s head.

“No, Hoseok just needed someone else to tutor him besides Jeongguk,” Yoongi explains. “They kept getting ‘distracted’.” Yoongi makes air-quotes with his fingers. “I mean, Quidditch did start up, but practice didn’t increase. Season’s over until after break.”

“...Oh.”

Truth is, Jimin never paid much attention to school sports. Or functions. Or events. He honestly missed most of the Triwizard Tournament the previous year because he hadn’t been paying any attention to anything other than his school books. Honestly, how could he have missed the increase in students, in non-Hogwarts uniforms?

Maybe he’s just blind, in too many different ways.

“Yeah,  _ ‘oh’.  _ Maybe talk to Namjoon over break if you get a chance. He might think you’re ignoring him on purpose.” Jimin scoffs and goes to hit Yoongi’s arm, but Yoongi is quick to catch on and dodges out of the way.

“Speaking of Gryffindors,” Jimin says as Yoongi sits back down properly, “have you wooed Seokjin yet, or are you both still sitting on your spiky, uncomfortable fence?”

“We’re...off and on,” Yoongi admits. “We just go back and forth between topics, sometimes. He has great insight.”

“But...?”

“But... I don’t know, I feel like I’m pushing myself to be his friend rather than anything else.” He sighs, “We’re both going home for the holidays, so by the time we get back, he’ll probably forget about it all.”

Jimin watches Yoongi’s face fall, and he wonders, is this what  _ he  _ looks like when he’s upset about Namjoon?

“Hey,” he speaks up, and reaches over for Yoongi’s hand. He jumps, but lets Jimin interlock their fingers for a moment. “If I can talk to Namjoon over break, you can talk to Seokjin when you get back.”

“...This is weird.” Jimin laughs and squeezes his hand. “Fine. We’ll both do something about our crushes.”

“Who said something about crushes?” a voice speaks beside them, and Yoongi is nearly scared out of his skin at Seokjin standing there in his robes, Prefect badge shining on the front of them. “Ooh, Yoongi, you got someone you want a little something-something with?” Jimin widens his eyes, and then looks down at their hands, and Yoongi turns so beet-red that Jimin is sure he’s going to explode. Then Seokjin looks down, at their hands, and his mouth turns into a little frown. “...Oh. I- I didn’t know you and Jimin were-”

“We’re not!” Jimin shouts, taking back his hand like Yoongi is on fire (he’s red enough at this point). “I like Namjoon! Yoongi isn’t dating anyone!”

There’s been too many odd silences today, but it doesn’t phase Seokjin as much as it does Yoongi and Jimin.

“Oh. Okay,” Seokjin nods, slightly gulping. “That’s...good. Good.” Seokjin turns to Yoongi. “Hey, uh... I’ll see you when break’s over?”

“Sure,” Yoongi squeaks, and Jimin swears he sees Seokjin blush as he smiles and nods his goodbye. Yoongi lets out all the breath in his body, his skin going back to a slightly paler pink. “Oh, my God. Never hold my hand again.”

“Wh-” Jimin starts, but doesn’t bother finishing. He attempts to lighten the mood a little, “Well, at least he knows you’re not dating anyone now.” Yoongi gulps, breathes in and out.

“Yeah,” he agrees, as if he’s trying to convince himself. “Yeah.” He stands up after a minute, “I got to go pack, so I’ll see you after break. I’ll send you an owl if anything interesting happens.”

“Yeah, I will, too,” Jimin nods as he watches Yoongi walk away. Conveniently in the direction Seokjin headed.

Maybe Jimin’ll gain that courage over the next couple weeks.

\---

The first few days alone in the castle, other than teachers and some select students, are generally quiet. Jimin spends time reading and practicing Potions, even heading to the greenhouses in the slight chance that Namjoon might be there. Though no one really is when it’s this cold.

He visits Hagrid a couple times, runs into Taehyung more often than he would’ve thought, and by the end of the first week, he’s starting to kick himself in the shin for not keeping his promise to Yoongi.  _ One week left,  _ he keeps telling himself.  _ I’ve still got time. _

Then he sees Hoseok and Namjoon in the library together, huddled close, and he feels his whole chest tighten. Hoseok’s face is hidden in Namjoon’s neck and Namjoon has his lips pressed to Hoseok’s hair, his eyes closed as they rock back and forth.

Jeongguk is away for break.

This is where Jimin’s brain starts to make up wild scenarios, and where Jimin does nothing to combat them, and he’s left with the only possible answer he’s allowed himself to think.

Namjoon and Hoseok are together, because Jimin didn’t confront his crush, and Jeongguk is gone for the holidays.

It’s a hell of a long road to take to get to that conclusion, but Jimin doesn’t know how to turn back around and take the other.

Slowly, Jimin backs out of the library and off to the Slytherin dorms, stoney walls greeting him as he finds his way to his dorm room where he can crawl underneath the covers and hope that at least Yoongi and Seokjin will get the happy ending he might never have with Namjoon.  _ God,  _ it’s just...horrible.

This is the boy he’s been thinking about ever since the Sorting Hat in their first year, watching as it hummed on Namjoon’s head, figuring out whether or not he should be sorted into Gryffindor or Ravenclaw before finally shouting,  _ “Yes! Of course... Gryffindor!”  _ Watching as Namjoon smiled wide with his young baby face, heading to his new house table.

Remembering how the Sorting Hat barely touched his own head before it announced,  _ “This one’s a Slytherin!”  _ Listening as his new fellow housemates applauded for him, even though he was stealing glances at the Gryffindor house table and wondering why he couldn’t just  _ choose  _ to be in whichever house he wanted, why he couldn’t just  _ be  _ in Namjoon’s house.

That’s when he’d met Yoongi, when all the first years were introduced to their rooms, and Yoongi bumped into him and, rather than scolding him, asked if he was okay because he seemed a little upset. Jimin never admitted it then, and will never admit it now, but he’s always had a pit in the bottom of his stomach that kept telling him he’d just never be meant to be in Namjoon’s life, not now or ever.

“Yoongi?” someone calls throughout the dorm, sounding strangely familiar, and Jimin pokes his head out from under his covers to see yellow robes, and  _ okay.  _ How the hell did a Hufflepuff make their way into the Slytherin dorm rooms?

Jimin jumps out of bed with the intent to kick them out, even Stupefy them if he had to, before he sees golden hair, and his choice changes.

“Taehyung?” Jimin calls, and Taehyung looks into the dorm room before smiling.

“Hey, Jimin!” he greets. “What’re you doing here? Home for the holidays, too?”

“Yeah, something like that,” Jimin decides to say. “How did you get here?” Taehyung looks around before he lowers his voice.

“Don’t tell on me, but Yoongi gives me the password sometimes,” he whispers, and it goes quiet before Jimin’s smiling and giggling.

“I think Yoongi left already, it’s been a week,” he tells Taehyung after he catches his breath.

“Oh. I was going to ask if he could say hi to my dog at home,” Taehyung shrugs, making himself a bit at home by sitting on the edge of Jimin’s bed. “Yeontan loves Yoongi. I’m sure he already visited the house for me.”

“You both live near each other?” Taehyung nods.

“Yeah, amazing. My parents are off and on with working their jobs right now, so I told them I wanted to stay here for the holidays, but that I’d come back in the spring.”

“Oh.” Jimin huffs. “That’s nice.”

“I’m guessing you’re staying for the same reasons?”

“Out of country work. They’re both dragon trainers,” Jimin says. “They told me I could go back during spring, too, but knowing them, they’ll tell me to stay here again.”

“That’s awful. It hurts when you want to see your family and you can’t.”

It’s quiet for a minute, and based on the amount of silences Jimin seems to get himself into, this is actually the most comfortable of them. Taehyung’s an easy person to talk to when Jimin doesn’t feel like carrying the conversation too much. It’s maybe why Yoongi seems to get along with him so well, too.

“We should get you out of here before you get in trouble,” Jimin says, getting out of his bed and patting Taehyung’s arm to move.

“Oh, but the Slytherin dorms are so... _ cool,”  _ Taehyung pouts. “And as much as I like food from the kitchen elves, a change in scenery is always a nice touch to my life.”

Jimin checks to make sure no one will see Taehyung leave (granted, he hopes no one had seen him enter), before he holds Taehyung by the hand and drags him out of the room.

“What’re you saying, you want to be a Slytherin?” Jimin jokingly asks, and Taehyung laughs.

“Interesting fact, I had actually wanted to be a Slytherin when I was getting sorted,” Taehyung informs. Jimin scoffs in surprise. “It’s true! But that just isn’t where my strengths lie. That’s why Hufflepuff is good for me to flourish.”

“Have you ever considered becoming a teacher?”

“How did you know? That was all I wanted to be when I was growing up.” They laugh together as they finally exit the dorms...

...to crash into a set of red robes.

Just Jimin’s luck. He’s positive he’s cursed.

“Jimin,” Namjoon says, surprised. Jimin stares back, Taehyung slightly behind him, still attached to his hand, before he snatches his back.

“Namjoon,” Jimin responds in kind. “Um- It isn’t- This isn’t what it looks like-”

“Y’know, Jimin,” Namjoon begins, “if weren’t interested in me, you could’ve just told me.”

There’s the bravery of a Gryffindor.

“But-” Jimin cuts himself off, turning pink in the face.

And the cowardice of a Slytherin. Or, at least, the cowardice of Jimin himself.

“I came to look for you,” Namjoon begins, “because I hadn’t talked to you since I had to tutor Hoseok. I... I  _ wanted  _ to at least spend some time with you during the holidays. I only couldn’t because Hoseok needed help because of Jeongguk.”

Jimin knew it. He knew something had happened.

Just not the situation he had been thinking.

“He and Jeongguk fought before Jeongguk left for the holidays,” Namjoon continues to explain. “Jeongguk finally sent an owl to Hoseok from home apologising, and this is the first chance I’ve gotten to talk to you.” He looks at Taehyung. “I guess you’ve been spending some personal time with Taehyung, though.”

Namjoon turns to walk away, and  _ no.  _ No, Jimin can’t let this just happen.

He’s a Slytherin, sure, but he’ll be damned if he can’t be at least half as courageous as a Gryffindor.

“Wait!” Jimin calls, and Namjoon stops. Taehyung stands back as Jimin moves forward where Namjoon turns around, a tired expression on his face. “Wait, just...” And this is so terrifying but it’s what Jimin needs to do, and he’s  _ tired  _ of never doing what he wants to. “Can you do something for me?”

“Really?” Namjoon raises his eyebrows in disbelief. “After all this, now you want a favour?”

“No, that’s not what I- Look, can you go... Can you go to your dorm room and put on something other than your robes? And then meet me in the library? Just us.”

Namjoon seems to shift side to side on his feet, contemplating. And Jimin is so scared he’ll say no, he’ll deny Jimin’s redemption at trying to save this.  _ Whatever _ it is. Namjoon looks behind Jimin at Taehyung, and Taehyung must’ve been that last encouragement factor, because Namjoon sighs.

“Fine,” he huffs. “But if we get in trouble, it’s your fault.”

Even if that hurts, at least now Jimin will have the chance to explain himself. No matter how terrifying that’ll be.

\---

Taehyung ends up going back to his own dorm room, and Jimin goes back to his to change into some blue cloth bottoms and a light blue sweater his parents sent with him when the school year started. There’s a picture of all the animals in each house, and if he taps his wand against it, the animals will start moving with each other. It’s oversized, but Jimin doesn’t mind.

Namjoon, as promised, is wearing a set of comfortable matching pyjamas, grey on green, sitting in the library waiting for Jimin to show. And show Jimin does.

“Hi,” he greets quietly as he sits down at the table next to Namjoon. Namjoon doesn’t seem too interested at all in listening to Jimin’s plight, but he still greets him back.

“Hi,” he hums, leaning on his elbow. It’s quiet for a few moments before Namjoon adds, “If you’ve got something to say, say it.” Jimin gulps in all his fear, all his cowardice, and speaks.

“I li-” And then he cuts himself off. He tries again with an easier beginning, “I mean... When we first met... It was on the train, our first year.” Namjoon faces Jimin a little more and Jimin continues, confidence growing with his attention. “You bought nearly all the sweets off the cart and you offered me some because my parents hadn’t given me any money to spend.”

“Yeah, and you were so excited because you got Dumbledore in your chocolate frog,” Namjoon adds, and they both smile for a moment.

“What I’m saying is... Back then, that first time... We weren’t separate. We weren’t a Gryffindor and a Slytherin. We were Jimin and Namjoon. And that’s...also why I wanted you to change, and talk here.” He looks around at the library. “The library is communal. And without our robes, it doesn’t matter who’s what house. We’re Jimin and Namjoon, talking in the library.

“The way I’ve been ignoring you wasn’t on purpose. I... I didn’t want to bother you, because I thought you were busy. And, at the same time... I thought you were ignoring me, too.”

“Why would I ignore you?” Namjoon interrupts. Jimin jumps at his sudden words and Namjoon looks away for a minute. “I mean... How could anyone ever ignore you?”

“I...don’t know. There’s not a lot about me that’s interesting-”

“Yes, there is.”

Jimin feels his brain stop working for a moment. Namjoon thinks  _ he’s  _ interesting, or at least something about him. It brings back hope in Jimin, that maybe,  _ maybe,  _ this could all go correctly. That, just for once, things might turn better rather than worse.

“Like what?” he finds himself asking, and Namjoon’s ears burn red like the thought of telling Jimin is too much for him to handle. Which never necessarily means that it will deter one from saying it out loud.

“Well...,” Namjoon finds his voice after a few moments, trying to look Jimin in the eye but settling for looking at his sweater. “You’re really...nice. Even if your viewpoints are a little flawed sometimes, you still aim to help. I like that...you’re interested in Divination and Defence Against The Dark Arts. I think it’s really cool that you’ve met a live dragon before.”

“Okay, I didn’t  _ meet  _ the dragon, I just saw it in its cage-”

_ “Still.”  _ Namjoon finally looks him in the eye. His cheeks are red and he’s chewing on his bottom lip. “I like that. I think it- I think  _ you’re  _ interesting.” Namjoon huffs, waving his hand in the air. “I don’t care about our houses or our skillsets or any of that. I like you for  _ you.” _

Jimin stares owlishly at Namjoon.

It occurs to Jimin that this is real. That Namjoon, ever the braver of the two of them, said he liked Jimin  _ out loud.  _ And it continuously rings in Jimin’s ears for a few passing moments before his mouth moves.

“I like you, too, Namjoon,” he says without a second thought, and he feels his face turn pink in sync with Namjoon’s, and it’s such an odd thought that he starts laughing. Then Namjoon’s laughing, and before they know it, McGonagall’s scolding them both for disrupting the library and asking them to spend time elsewhere.

They find themselves back in the dining hall, sitting at Jimin and Yoongi’s usual seating at the Slytherin table. Professor Flitwick is doing some changes to the tree at the head of the room, and a few other students are in their lounge-wear themselves, their houses unidentifiable.

They really are, in the end, just Jimin and Namjoon.

After they’ve calmed down from their laughter completely, Namjoon speaks.

“So, does this mean I can’t be your tutor for Potions anymore?” he asks. Jimin raises his eyebrows, opening his mouth to ask why before Namjoon’s adding, “It’s a little odd for teachers to date students.”

“Oh,” Jimin huffs before he’s chuckling again. “I-I didn’t realise you wanted to officially start now.”

“Why not?” Namjoon shrugs. “Why not start now? If not now, when?” And that’s the whole truth.

_ If not now, when? _

That’s the type of mantra Jimin should keep telling himself, every time a challenge comes along and he feels too inadequate to take it on. He’s no brave Gryffindor, smart Ravenclaw, joyful Hufflepuff. But he’s a determined, sly, ambitious Slytherin, and he should take those skills to heart.

It’s time he stopped wishing he were something he thought was better than a Slytherin, and embrace the good aspects of his personality.

“Okay,” Jimin nods. “Now. Let’s start now.” Namjoon smiles so dimpled that Jimin can’t help it. He reaches over and pokes the one on Namjoon’s left cheek, earning a brighter grin and a blush.

“You’re getting braver,” Namjoon tells him, and Jimin shrugs.

“I think that’s because you make me braver.”

Namjoon turns so incredibly red in the face that Jimin thinks he might pass out, so he distracts him by showing how his sweater can change design.

They talk for awhile, promises here and there, flirts and gentle surface-level touches. Just to sprinkle in that little fact, that,  _ “I’m here.” _

The next day comes and Jimin and Namjoon share breakfast at the Gryffindor table, a plate of eggs, bacon, and waffles being passed back and forth.

“Mail,” Namjoon says as he looks up to see a few lone owls swooping in to drop off mail for the students staying at the castle, and Jimin’s surprised to see Yoongi’s owl drop off a letter above him. He catches it before it has a chance to land on his plate.

“From Yoongi,” Jimin says as he opens it up and reads it aloud,  _ “‘Dear Jimin. I’m just writing to let you know that I’ve also been writing to Seokjin.’”  _ Jimin looks up and Namjoon looks intrigued, so Jimin smiles as he continues.  _ “‘We’re both on holiday, so we’ve been trading stories. I think we’re really hitting it off more and more. _

_ “‘I’ll only say this once: If you haven’t-’”  _ Jimin cuts himself off, and Namjoon raises his eyebrows. Jimin takes a deep breath and continues,  _ “‘If you haven’t talked to Namjoon and aren’t together by the time I get back, I’m going to seriously curse you. I don’t care how many duels you’ve won.’”  _ Jimin laughs,  _ “‘P.S. Tell Taehyung I’ve been taking care of Yeontan for him. Holly and he are having loads of fun. Yoongi.’” _

“So he knew,” Namjoon concludes. “He knew you liked me.”

“Of course he knew,” Jimin sighs. “He’s known ever since I met him in my first year.”

“Wh- You’ve liked me for that long?” Jimin opens his mouth.

“Well- I liked you as a person, at least!” he says back. “It’s only more recently that I liked you more!”

“Oh, Jimin, you’ve had a crush on me for  _ five _ years!”

“I have not!”

“Have too!”

Their petty argument goes on for at least a few minutes, and afterwards, in the midst of their quiet breakfast, sat side by side, Jimin slips his hand into Namjoon’s, and everything is just a bit more in their favour for once.

**Author's Note:**

> OWO i wuv wizards minjoon  
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/kingofhearts709  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/kingofhearts709  
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